The brutality of football management was revealed yesterday with the release of record figures that illustrate the increasing demands on a precarious position.

In its annual review of trends within the game, the League Managers Association (LMA) found that its dismissed members had been given an average of 1.4 years in their jobs, an all-time low. Overall, the average tenure of league managers is only two years.

The prognosis is even more stark for first-time managers, with half of those who are sacked never again being entrusted with a managerial role at a league club.